Antidote
by wendykw
Summary: An episode insert for Dreamworld. Follows Kate from the moment McCord stops Parker until Rick wakes up. Hastily written as a Happy Birthday to Lou!
1. Chapter 1

McCord held her gun steady, pointing at Brad Parker. Beckett grabbed her gun away from Parker, "Where's the antidote?"

Parker didn't respond. Beckett pointed her gun at Parker's crotch, "Where's the antidote? Tell me now. I have nothing to lose without it."

Parker looked at the fury in Beckett's gaze, "It's in the glove compartment of my car. It's a blue Saturn"

"Is it locked? Hand me the keys with your left hand. My gun isn't moving from its target."

Parker handed Beckett his keys. She raced to the car. An ambulance arrived while she was running to the car. Kate retrieved the vial of antidote and ran to the medic who was kneeling next to Rick's prone body, with his fingers against Rick's neck feeling for a pulse. Mrs. Reed's maid held the door open for the other medic. "I'm Agent Kate Beckett with the Attorney General's office. He and Mrs. Reed have been poisoned. This is the antidote," Kate pulled written instructions from her pocket. "These are the dosing instructions from Dr. Goldberg. Please hurry. He's dying."

The medic looked at the instructions and reached for supplies from his bag, "Roll up his sleeve while I prepare the injection. Where's Mrs. Reed?"

"She's inside. There's only 1 vial of antidote." Kate pushed Rick's jacket sleeve up and rolled his shirtsleeve up. The medic swabbed Rick's antecubital vein and injected the antidote. Rick didn't react to the injection. Kate brushed the hair from Rick's forehead and caressed his cheek. The medic took Kate's other hand and pressed it to the injection site.

Mrs. Reed's maid ran from the house. "They sent me for the antidote."

"Here's the vial and the dosing instructions. I need to stay here with him," the medic handed the items off to the maid. She ran into the house. He keyed a radio microphone on his collar. "This is Unit 47. I need a second unit sent to my location, and I need it STAT. Do you copy?"

"Copy that. Second unit being dispatched." Responded a voice over his radio.

"What kind of poison are we dealing with, Agent Beckett?" The medic continued to work on Rick while he talked.

"It's a neurotoxin. He collapsed when we arrived. He was exposed about a day ago. We've been searching for the only vial of antidote….How is he?"

While Kate spoke the medic placed an oxygen mask over Rick's face and ripped Rick's shirt open. He held a finger up as he slipped the earpieces of a stethoscope into his ears and listened to Rick's heart. He wrapped an automated blood pressure cuff around Rick's arm to check his vitals and rolled up the sleeve on his other arm to start an IV. He reached for his radio again, "Dispatch, be advised we have two patients exposed to a neurotoxin to be transported. Which hospital is protocol to transport them to?"

"Are patients critical or contagious?" The dispatcher responded.

"This is a toxin, not a bacteria or virus? Is that correct Agent Beckett?"

"Toxin is correct. Is he critical?"

"His breathing is shallow and his heart is slow." The medic spoke to dispatch again. "It's not contagious, but my patient may be critical."

"Ambulance is on its way."

Kate leaned down to whisper words of encouragement into Rick's ear. The medic continued to prepare Rick for transport. He asked Kate informational questions about Rick and jotted notes on a pad. Several police cars and agency cars arrived. Rachel McCord stood nearby directing agents and talking on her cell phone. When the second ambulance arrived, Rick was loaded into it. Mrs. Reed was loaded into the original ambulance.

Beckett jogged to where McCord was standing, "I need to go to the hospital. I'll call in as soon as I get there."

"Beckett. Take care of your fiancé. I'll handle the arrest and see you at the hospital later."

"Thanks," Beckett called over her shoulder as she ran to her car. She used her emergency lights to allow her to keep up with the ambulance. She parked in a space marked for Official Vehicles and ran into the ER.

Kate flashed her badge at the ER receptionist, "Agent Beckett with the Attorney General's office. I'm looking for a male patient who was just brought in and was exposed to a neurotoxin."

"Patient's name?"

"Richard Castle. I'm his fiancée."

The receptionist did a double take. Kate thought to herself, 'Must be a fan."

"Agent Beckett, let me call and get his status." The receptionist picked up her phone.

Kate tried to calm her breathing. Now that she could do nothing to help Rick, she felt panic start to form. Her heart was racing and her eyes were moist.

"A nurse will be out to get you in a moment. Wait by that door. He's on his way out now."

Kate moved close to the designated door. A tall man in charcoal scrubs with a haircut similar to Rick's opened the door. "Agent Beckett?" Kate nodded. "Follow me. My name is Keith. I'm the charge nurse today. Mr. Castle is in Room 2 and he is stable at the moment. Dr. Goldberg called ahead with instructions for our doctors. He is on his way in. If you'll have a seat in that alcove, someone will be out to talk to you in a few minutes. Betsy, the receptionist you talked to, said that Mr. Castle is your fiancé?"

"Yes, he is."

"We need to talk to a family member. Do you have the number of his next of kin?"

"In Rick's wallet is a card that designates me as an emergency contact and gives me Health Care Power of Attorney. I do need to call his Mother and daughter, but I want to know his condition before I do that."

"That's perfect. It makes everything easier for us. Someone will be out to talk to you soon."

Kate sat and contemplated how she was going to explain this situation to Martha. Keith returned holding Rick's wallet and a clipboard. "HIPAA regulations require me to ask for your ID. I made a copy of the Emergency Card in Mr. Castle's wallet." He handed the wallet to Kate. Kate pulled her credentials from her pocket and handed them to the nurse. "Great. Would you fill out these forms with as much information as you can? We don't have any medical history available."

"Can you tell me anything about how he's doing?" Kate took the clipboard from Keith as she spoke.

"His breathing is better. We didn't have to intubate him, but he is using an oxygen mask. Dr. Goldberg is in with the other patient from the incident."

"Mrs. Reed" Kate supplied the info to the nurse.

"Yes, Mrs. Reed. He'll see Mr. Castle next. One of our doctors is with him right now. One of the other nurses will come for those papers in a few minutes."

Kate filled out the paperwork. A nurse took the papers, asked a few questions and assured her that Dr. Goldberg would be out to talk to her.

"Agent Beckett," Kate looked up from the floor tile she had been staring at to see Dr. Goldberg standing nearby. "We're very lucky you were able to find the antidote when you did. Mr. Castle is unconscious, but I am optimistic that he will be awake later today. His breathing and other vital signs are improving. He is still on 100% O2, and we're giving him fluids. Have you contacted his family yet?"

"I was waiting until I spoke with you. I know they will have questions."

"I can talk to them if you wish."

"How is Mrs. Reed?"

"All I can tell you is that you won't be filing murder charges."

"Good. How long do you think Rick will be in the hospital?"

"At least a couple days, maybe longer. He is responding well to treatment."

"Thank you, doctor. I'll call his family now. I think I have enough information to reassure them."

"Mr. Castle will be transferred to a room on the Cardiac Telemetry Unit shortly. I don't think he needs to go to ICU. CTU has the equipment to monitor him and a wonderful staff. I'll see you again once he's settled into the room."

"Thank you doctor."

Kate stared at her phone, psyching herself to make the call to Martha. The phone rang in her hand. McCord's caller ID appeared.

"Beckett."

"How is he doing?"

"He's stable, and Dr. Goldberg expects him to wake up later today."

"Good, that's good. The Attorney General is happy we were able to save Secretary Reed's wife. He has offered a government plane to fly Castle's family to DC."

"Wow. I did not expect that. I haven't called them yet, actually."

"Kate, it's not your fault. Call them. After you speak with them, call me and I'll have agents escort them to the airport."

"Thank you, Rachel. Is Parker in Federal custody?"

"Yes, he is. We have that under control."

"Thanks. I'll call Martha now."

After a few deep breaths to calm herself, Kate called Martha.

"Katherine, what is going on? Is Richard alright?"

"Rick is going to be fine…"

"GOING TO BE?"

Kate heard Alexis call out to her grandmother.

"Martha. Calm down. Put me on speaker, so Alexis can hear me."

"Kate, what's going on?" Kate could tell Martha had put the call on speaker.

"Rick's in the hospital." Kate heard Martha gasp. "The doctor is confident that he will be fine. How much did he tell you about his visit here?"

"He told us he had gotten you in trouble by trying to help with your case. He said he couldn't tell us anymore, because it's classified." Alexis responded.

"I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to tell you. For now, I'll just say he was exposed to a chemical agent that made him sick. He is unconscious, and will be transferred to a room from the ER before you get here. I'll tell you more when you get here. Federal Agents will pick you both up and take you to the airport. Pack a bag for a few days. The Attorney General is providing a plane to fly you here."

"The Attorney General is what?"

"Castle had the critical inspiration that solved the case. The AG is grateful. Agents will escort you from the airport to the hospital. I'll see when you get here. Rick is going to be fine. It just may take a few days."

"Watch over him until we get there, Katherine."

"I plan to, Martha, I plan to. See you in a couple of hours."

Kate ended the call. She immediately called Rachel and gave her an update. A nurse took Kate to Rick's ER room. His eyes were closed. He had an oxygen mask hiding half his face. The hospital bed looked too small for him. Kate grasped his hand and pressed a kiss to his forehead. She whispered her love into his ear. He didn't respond. His hand was warm, and the monitor beeped in a comforting rhythm. Kate stared at Rick, wishing she could see his beautiful, cobalt eyes. Two nurses came into the room.

"We're going to prepare him for transport to CTU. Would you stand by the door, please?"

Kate moved out of their way. The nurses worked in tandem to unhook and move the tubes attached to the wall. Kate followed the bed as they pushed it down a hall, into an elevator and then through a maze of corridors. The nurses on the CTU floor introduced themselves, offered to bring Kate something to drink and instructed Kate what developments would require her to alert them. Kate settled into the chair next to Rick's bed. She was only aware of the beeping of the heart monitor and warmth of Rick's hand in her own. She watched the rise and fall of his chest and the occasional twitch of his mouth. Dr. Goldberg arrived, checked Rick over and reassured Kate that Rick would recover. Kate resumed her vigil. She startled when Alexis and Martha arrived with a curly-haired young man Kate had never met.

Alexis introduced Pi and asked Kate about Rick. Martha kissed Rick's brow and traced his cheek with the back of her hand. Kate was startled by Martha's quiet. Kate asked Pi to leave the room, since she didn't know him and was uncomfortable discussing the day's events in his presence. Alexis asked Pi to find a vending machine and bring her some water and a candy bar. Once Pi left the room, Kate shared as much information as she felt was appropriate. Alexis didn't push for more information, and Martha just stared at Rick with glistening eyes.

The ladies sat quietly around the bed. Kate was so focused on Rick, she was barely aware of anyone else in the room. Nurses checked Rick every ½ hour. His oxygen level returned to normal, and they removed the cannula from his nose. When Rick's lashes began to flutter, Kate caressed his cheek and called his name. He opened his eyes and grunted. Kate's world righted itself when Rick spoke.


	2. Almost

A/N: There were several requests for more, and I wanted to explore Kate's turmoil some more.

Rick was floating in and out of wakefulness. Ever the protective father, he had urged his family to go to a hotel and get some rest. Martha, Alexis and Pi had left the hospital around 10 pm, in order to check into their hotel suite. Kate didn't ask what the sleeping arrangements would be. She didn't want to know. She didn't want to have that knowledge in case Rick ever asked.

Kate sat by Rick's bedside, watching his chest rise and fall, checking the O2 saturation on the monitor above his head, listening to the faint beep of his pulse that emanated from the monitor. She was angry with Secretary Reed. She was furious with Brad Parker. She was angry with herself. If she hadn't dropped that photo, Rick wouldn't be in that hospital bed. The realization of how close she came to losing Rick was a relentless demon clawing at her calm. She held the panic under control. She would keep it under control for Rick and his family, at least until she could be alone.

Rick fought his way to alertness again. Someone was holding his hand. He knew that hand _. Kate_. He slid one eye barely open. In the dim lights of his hospital room, Kate was gorgeous. She's always gorgeous. Rick stared at her. Kate was staring at something above his head. He could see her eyes glisten. _"No, Honey, don't cry."_ Rick tried to find his voice. He needed to reassure her. "Kate," he managed to croak. "Water."

"Of course, Babe." Kate lifted the straw to Rick's lips. She combed her fingers through his hair as he drank.

Rick released the straw and pushed his head towards her hand, "Feels good. What time's it?"

"Almost midnight. Want some more water?" Rick nodded and Kate slid the straw between his lips again.

"You should go home, Honey. You need sleep. I'll be okay."

"I'm not leaving. When Alexis and Martha come back in the morning, then I'll go home."

Rick raised his arm that didn't have an IV in it, "Lay with me. Best medicine for me. Sleep together."

"The nurses won't like that, Rick."

"Don't care. I'm cold. You're tired. Perfect solution." He pulled her hand towards him.

"There's not enough room in that bed, Rick."

Rick dropped Kate's hand and grabbed the bedrail with both hands. He pulled himself as close to the bedrail as he could. He patted the empty space he had created, "See. Made room."

Kate lowered the bedrail, slipped off her shoes, lifted the blanket, and lay down next to Rick. She had to lie on her side in order to fit on the bed. She touched her lips to Rick's. He lifted his unfettered arm, and she snuggled into his side with one leg draped across his thighs.

"Perfect. Go to sleep, Kate. Love you."

"I love you, Rick."

The nurses tried not to wake the couple when they came to check on Rick. He was still attached to the monitor that transmitted to the nurse's station. They quietly checked his IV and left the sleeping couple alone.

When morning light started to illuminate the room, Kate woke. Her head lay on Rick's pillow with her nose touching his shoulder. She moved slowly, trying not to disturb him, and extricated herself from the bed. After visiting the bathroom, she resumed her vigil beside his bed. A quiet knock at the door preceded the entrance of a phlebotomist. Kate glanced at the clock: 6:45 am.

"Good morning. I need to get some blood from him," the lady said softly. "I can come back in a few minutes, if that would be better. I have to get the blood before he has breakfast."

"It's okay. Do you want me to wake him?"

"That's so nice of you. I can be the bad guy." The phlebotomist placed her supply tray on Rick's bedside table and touched Rick lightly on the hand. "Mr. Castle. Mr. Castle."

Rick opened his eyes, looked at Kate and then at the hospital employee and smiled, "Morning."

"Good morning, Mr. Castle. I need to take some blood from you."

"'Kay"

The phlebotomist looked at Rick's armband and pulled tubes and supplies from her tray. She talked softly and pleasantly to Rick, explaining what she was doing. When she unsheathed the needle, Rick turned to look at Kate instead of watching the needle. The phlebotomist quickly drew the needed tubes from Rick's vein, applied pressure to stop the bleeding and placed a bandage over the vein. She applied labels to the tubes. "All done. I hope you have a speedy recovery." She leaned closer to Rick and whispered, "Nikki and Derrick need more adventures for me to read."

Rick looked at her employee badge and then at its owner, "Thank you, Beth. You were very gentle. There will be more books, I promise."

Beth beamed at Rick, "I'll let the nurses know you're awake. Get well soon, Mr. Castle."

Beth left the room.

"Good morning, Gorgeous. Did you get any sleep?"

"Yes. I just woke up a few minutes ago." Kate stood next to the bed, pushed the hair from Rick's forehead and leaned down to kiss him. A knock at the door alerted them to the nurse at the door. The medical onslaught began.

By 9 am, Rick's catheter had been removed; Kate and a nurse had helped him to the bathroom; he'd eaten breakfast; he'd had a sponge bath (Kate had insisted on being the one to bathe him), and he had on a clean gown. Rick joked about everything. Martha and Alexis were relieved to see him joking with Kate, when they arrived with Pi following them.

Martha fussed over Rick and Kate. Alexis observed the way Kate's eyes gravitated to Rick after checking the monitor or momentarily looking at whoever was speaking.

"Katherine, we are here to keep watch over Richard. You should go home and freshen up."

Before Kate's protest could be uttered, Alexis reinforced Martha's instruction, "Kate, head home, get a shower, change clothes and come back. You can bring Dad back some pajamas. We promise to keep him out of trouble until you get back."

Rick muttered, "I'm right here…"

"He has to stay in the hospital gown until they take the monitor off of him, but I can bring him something to wear. The doctor is hopeful that will happen later today."

Kate said her goodbyes, kissed Rick tenderly and headed for home.

When the warm water of the shower sluiced over her body, the gravity of the past 2 days awoke the panic demon. Her sobs echoed off the shower walls and she sank to her knees. She leaned against the tile and her tears mix with the shower spray. Her mind was overwhelmed with images: Rick on the grass in front of the Reed's residence, the rush to the hospital with her lights flashing and her heart galloping, the terror that gripped her while she sat in the waiting room. It was too close; she almost lost him. Rick almost died. _Almost_ repeated like a mantra in her mind. Their future _almost_ disappeared. Her one and done _almost_ lost his life. _Almost…almost…almost_

Kate fought to control her breathing. _Rick didn't die. He's safe. Martha and Alexis are with him._ Like a beacon in the night, Rick's words at the hospital soothed her mind, " _I'm right here."_

Kate regained her calm and composure. She washed her hair and her body. She dressed in jeans and a green, charmeuse satin blouse. After drying and styling her hair, she applied minimal makeup. She packed a bag for Rick and slipped her cell phone charger, a book and an iPad into the bag.

Before she returned to the hospital, she knew she needed to check in with Rachel McCord. The fact that Reed would suffer no consequences offended her sense of justice. " _You can't control everything. Rick's going to be okay."_

"McCord."

"This is Beckett. I'm checking in. Please tell me that you don't need me today."

"How is he doing?"

"He's still weak. He's still on telemetry. Doctor says he will probably be moved to a regular room this afternoon. Martha and Alexis are with him now. I'm at home, packing him a bag."

"Take care of him, Kate. We're handling the paperwork. I don't want to see you back here before Tuesday. If you need more time, let me know. If you need anything at all, let me know."

"Thank you. I'll call once the doctor tells us something definitive."

"The AG has instructed Valente to make a plane available to transport Castle and his family back to New York, when the doctor allows him to go home. "

"That's very thoughtful of him. I'll tell Rick. I'll call you."

They ended their call. Kate grabbed her bag and headed back to the hospital.


	3. Too Soon

As Kate approached Rick's room his nurse from earlier beckoned her from the nurses' station. The nurse led Kate a few feet away from the noisy area, "He's sleeping. His family has gone to grab some lunch. His mother asked me to tell you, that they are going to a nearby restaurant. She said you should call her, and they'll bring you back anything you'd like off the menu. If you don't call her, she'll choose the food for you." Kate smiled, knowing this was pure Martha. The nurse chuckled a little before continuing, "Mr. Castle's mother is an interesting lady."

"Martha is a force of nature is what she is," Kate agreed. "I'll call her from Rick's room. Is he improving? Dr. Goldberg said Rick might be transferred to a regular room this afternoon."

"Mr. Castle is improving faster than I expected, but Dr. Goldberg is the authority. He is expected to be back to check on your fiancé after lunch."

"Good, that's good. Thank you. I'm going to Rick's room. I don't want him to wake up alone."

Rick was sleeping as Kate crept into the room. He looked peaceful. She wanted to brush his hair from his forehead and feel his breath on her skin. She wanted to caress his check and feel warm skin under her hand. She didn't want to wake him, so she quietly placed the bag she had packed in the closet. She stood at the foot of the bed and just stared. She slipped her phone from her pocket and moved away from Rick to call Martha. A short whispered conversation resulted in an order of Chef's salad with vinaigrette being chosen. Kate told Martha not to hurry back.

Kate had kept her eyes trained on Rick during her conversation. She had noticed the telltale wiggles of his eyebrows. He was waking up. She walked quickly to his side and feathered her fingers through his hair. Rick smiled as he struggled to open his eyes. Kate's hand moved to cup Rick's cheek. He leaned into her palm and his eyes found hers.

"Hi," Rick smiled. Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? God, I love you."

Kate bent over the bed and pressed her lips to her fiancé's. "I love you, too." She added a kiss to his cheek, before she straightened up. Her free hand caressed his ear and slipped along his jaw to his neck. She let her fingers slip into the short hairs at his nape. "You know you have beautiful eyes."

"Why, Katherine Beckett, are you teasing me with my own words?"

"Remembered that, did you? I don't have to worry that you have any memory loss," Kate answered with a smirk. Her fingers remained in Rick's hair, fiddling with soft strands.

Rick reached for Kate's left hand. "You're mine now." There wasn't a ring on her finger, "Do you have to work today?" His grin melted as he stroked her bare ring finger.

"Nope. I am all yours. Wait just a minute." Kate lifted the chain with two rings from out of her blouse and over her head. She opened the clasp and removed her engagement ring from the chain. She handed Rick the ring, closed the clasp and replaced the chain over her head. She smiled brilliantly at Rick as she held her fingers in the perfect position for him to slide the ring onto her finger. Rick kissed the ring after it was in its proper place.

The lovers caressed the skin of their partner and smiled. Rick pulled Kate towards him with the hand in his grasp. Soft, sweet kisses were exchanged as Rick combed thru her soft locks. A noise from the hall disturbed their bliss, and they chuckled as Kate reached for the chair and sat next to the bed. Her thumb traveled over the hills of his knuckles. She was reluctant to break contact with his skin.

"We only have a few minutes before the redheads return. I wanted to apologize to you. If I hadn't dropped that photo…."

"Honey, no. This is not your fault. I am the idiot, who thought he could help the professionals. I just wanted to speed up the investigation, so I could have more time with you. I miss being with you. I miss working with you."

"I miss you, too. Maybe I should quit this job."

"This is your shot. You deserve this job. It's who you are, the badass investigator."

"Who I am? Who I am is your fiancée. I can't lose you, Rick. I almost lost you." Kate rises and kisses Rick fervently.

"Hey, I'm okay. I'll be fine. I have no desire to let you out of our engagement."

"You remembered that did you? I meant it. I'm not letting you out of this engagement. Don't do anything like that again. Promise me."

"I will not investigate one of your federal cases alone ever again. I added the caveat, just in case you have a case that I am allowed to help with,"

"Not gonna happen, Babe. Now kiss me, before we get interrupted."

As expected, the redheads and Pi arrived too soon. Rick expressed his jealousy of Kate's lunch, but she wouldn't share. There was teasing and laughter as if they were at home.

Dr. Goldberg examined Rick and signed the orders to move him to a regular room. Rick sent his family away when the staff came to move him. He told them to get some fresh air or to visit a museum. Alexis protested, but Martha herded the younger ones out. She turned as she exited and winked at the couple left in the room. Kate winked back.

The next 24 hours were filled with jokes and quiet moments. Martha, Alexis and Pi were shooed out whenever Rick found an opportunity. Kate did not leave. She tried to keep physical contact with Rick. He positioned his hand at the edge of the bed, so she had easy access to it. After the rest of the family left for the night, Kate slept spooned around Rick in his hospital bed. Being close to Rick allowed Kate to relax.

After Dr. Goldberg examined Rick the next morning, preparations began to transport the Castle family back to New York. Martha, Alexis and Pi returned to their hotel to check out.

"Is it possible for you to come with us just for a day or two? Please, Kate, come with us."

"I wish I could, but I can't. I already asked. McCord said Villante has been unusually lenient with the time off, since I am a new agent. She was surprised, frankly. Let Martha and Alexis fuss over you and spoil you. They were frightened, especially Alexis. She needs to spend some time with you. As soon as I get a chance I'll come to New York, or you can come here to visit. I know you won't snoop into my cases again."

"I promised and I'm going to honor that promise. Will you escort us to the plane?" Rick looked at Kate with feigned innocence and a slight smile.

"That was my plan." Kate watched Rick's smile widen and spread to his eyes. "Time to get you dressed and packed up."

"I would happily stay here another day, just so I could be with you." Rick paused when Kate quirked her eyebrow and frowned at him. "I would. I'm going to miss you."

"Get dressed, Mr. Castle. You have a plane to catch." Kate tried to sound imperious, but couldn't suppress a smile.

"Yes, Ma'am." Rick scrambled out of the bed and started to disrobe. Kate moved to get his clothes from the closet, but Rick grabbed her arm. He pulled her into a bear hug and kissed her deeply. They clung to each other, savoring the moment.

Kate ended their hug with a kiss to Rick's check. "You need to get changed, Babe."

All too soon they were on the way to the airport. Kate and Rick in one vehicle, the rest of the group with an agent in another vehicle. The couple was quiet in the car. Rick's hand never left Kate's thigh as she drove. Whenever possible, she laid her hand atop his. They shared a kiss and declarations of love before they exited the car. Kate and her future family hugged. Martha whispered a thank you to Kate, which Kate didn't feel she deserved.

Kate climbed the stairs closely behind Rick with one hand pressed between his shoulder blades. They stopped at the top of the stairs and kissed one last time. Rick whispered, "Always" at Kate's ear. She whispered "Ditto" back to him. Kate watched Rick buckle himself into his seat. She waved to the other occupants.

"Katherine, don't worry. We'll take special care of him."

"Thank you, Martha." Kate smiled at Martha, and then looked pointedly at Rick. "Behave yourself, or I will sic Lanie on you."

"Anything but that. I'll call you."

Kate smiled, nodded her assent, turned away and exited the plane. Time to go back to work.


End file.
